Valve for air-brakes



a light pressure upon the wheels.

jFFICE@ THEODORE II. IIABERKORN, OF FORT VAYNE, INDIANA.

VALVE FOR AIR-BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,446, dated February 2, 1886. Application filed June 1B, i885. Serial No, 169,086. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may conce'u Beit known that I, THEoDoRn H. HABER- KORN, of Fort Wrayne, in the county of Allen, and in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Air-Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, iu which- Figure l is a perspective view of the casing of my valve, said casing being in section upon a central longitudinal line. Figs. 2 and 3 are like views of the valve from opposite ends. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are central longitudinal sections of said easing and valve combined, and show, respectively, the relative positions of said valve when arranged to admit air from the main pipe to the auxiliary reservoir and to open communication between the brakecylinder and the outer air when arranged to close communication between the outer air and said cylinder, and to open communication between the latter and said auxiliary reservoir, and as arranged to hold the brake with Fig. 7 is a cross-section of said valve upon line a; a: of Figs. 2 and 3.

Letters of like name and kind referto like parts in each of the iignres.

The design of my invention is to lincrease the eftlciency and ease of manipulation of airbrakes for railroad-cars; and to this end said invention consists in the mechanism and in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the parts thereof, as hereinafter described, and more specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the carrying of my inventionleinto practice I employ a valve-casing, A, with the general form of a cylinder with a lateral branch, a, at one side, at or near its longitudinal'center. Vithin the body of said casing is an axial opening, a", that, from its upper end to the lower side of the lateral opening a2, has -a straight cylindrical form, while at said latter point is provided an inward and downward inclined valve-seat, a", and below the saine a second cylindrical part, a4, which has a less diameter than has said upper portion. rDhe openings a', ai, and a4 are each threaded interiorly at and near their ends, and within the iirst-named is fitted a coupling-nut, B,

which extends downward into the same, and at its lower end forms a valveseat, b, that has an upward and inward inclination. Said nut is threaded interiorly at its upper end, and within the same, and within said threaded openings a2 and at, are fitted the correspondingly-threaded ends of pipes C, D, and E, respectively.

Within the chambered interiorol` the casing A is tted a valve, F, that centrally has two cylindrical portions, fand j", the first of which closely lls thespace a radially, while said second part, j", is adapted to litinto the smaller space, ai. The upper end of said cylindrlcal part f terminates in a valve-face, f ,wh1ch corresponds to and may be caused to iit closelyr upon the valveseat b, while above said face said valve is extended in the form of radial longitudinal wings f, that loosely fill the 1nterior ofthe nut B, and perform the usual office of guides for holding the valve centrally with relation to its casing. Upon the side toward the lateral opening af the cylindrical part f 1s cut away from a point about one-fourth of au inch below the valve-facef, as shown, which reduced part has such diameter as to bring its. periphery upon a line with the outer edge oi the lower valve-seat, a, and terminates in a face, f '1, that corresponds to and maybe caused to fit upon the latter. Below said face is the cylindrical part f', which iits into the upper part of the lower opening or chamber, a, and below the same are radial wingsf, similar to those at the upper end of the valve.

Vithin the lower end of the valve F is au axial opening,f, which extends upward to or near the longitudinal center of the same, and thence radially outward through the cylindrical enlargement f, opposite to the lateral open` ing a2, at which point there is provided within the casing A a passage, a5, that extends radially outward to or beyond the exterior line oi' `the latter, and thence curves downward. Said passages or ports f n and af coincide when said kvalve is at the lower limit of its motion, as

shown in Fig. 4; but when said valve is raised a distance equal to the vertical dimensions ol` their contiguous ends the solid portion oi' the enlargement f will come opposite to said port a5 and close the same. A screw or pin, G, passing radially through the easing A into a vertical groove, f7, iu the valve F, holds the IOC- l l l latter in position circumferentially,while permitting it to move freely in a longitudinal direction. A rectangular recess, a, within the inner face ofsaid casing, above the lateral opening a2, completes the device, the applica tion and operation of' which is as follows, viz: The pipe (l communicates with the main reservoir or other source from which air is su pplied under pressure. The pipe D connects the casing with the auxiliaryreservoir, andthe pipe E coifefLa sa d casing with the brakecylindcr. When the brake is not in use, a sufcient pressure within the main pipe (l will cause the valve F to be seated upon the lower valvc-scat, a3, as seen in Fig. 4, when the main cylinder or piston f of said valve will come opposite to the recess a, and having less depth at such point than said recess, air from said main pipe will pass freely through the latter into the pipe l) and through the same to the auxiliary reservoir, while at the same time said cylinder will bc relieved from all pressure in consequence of its communication through the exhaust-ports ai and f with the outer air. `When it is desired to put on the brake with full force, the pressure within the main pipe is reduced until below the pressure within the auxiliary reservoir, when the valve will be lifted until seated upon or against the upper valve-seat, by which means the exhaust-ports will be closed and communication established between said auxiliary reservoir, and compressed air from the latter will pass int-o said cylinder, and, actuating the piston, set the brake. ln order that the air under pressure may not enter the cylinder before the exhaust-ports are closed, the lower eylindrical portion or piston of the valve extends downward into the air-supply porta distance greater than the vertical dimensions of the contiguous ends ofsaid exhaust ports, b y which arrangement said air-supply port is not opened by the withdrawal of said piston until after said exhaust-ports are closed. lo release the brake, air under pressure is admitted to the main pipe, and when such pressure loecomes greater than the pressure within the auxiliary reservoir the valve is forced downward to close the air-inlet port of the cylinder and open the exhaust-ports of the saine. XVhcn said valve is moved downward,the lower piston enters into and closes the air-inlet port of the cylinder before the upper piston has moved over the recess or port a, so as to permit air to pass below said piston, by which arrangement no loss ol' pressure occurs in shifting said valve. Vhen it "s desired to apply the brake gently,-a slignt reduction is made in the airpressure within the main pipe, which will cause the valve to be raised sutlicientl y to permit air to pass slowly from the auxiliary reservoir into the cylinder. After a sufiicient pressure has been given to the brakes,a small portion of air from the main reservoir is admitted into the main pipe, andthe valve caused 'to-move, slowly until the lower piston of said valve closes the ar-inlet port tothe cylinder and meets wit-l1 a slight resistance from the compressed air within the latter, when the forces acting upon said valve will become equal, and said parts will maintain their relative positions, pressure wit-hin the auxiliary reservoir being maintained by the admission thereto of air from said main pipe. The construction shown enables the engineer to maintain perfect control over the brakes of a train, and to operate the same with ease and certainty through readily produced variations in the pressure within the main brake-pipe.

Having thus described my invention, what l' l. ln conibination with the main pipe, anxiliary reservoir, and the brake-cylinder, the valve operated by variation in pressure in the pipe and reservoir, having all its parts rigidly connected together, and adapted as it is moved by excess of pressure in the reservoir to iirst close the com munication between the pipe and reservoir and between the brakc-cylinder and the open air, and then to open communication between thc reservoir and such cylin der, sllbstantially as and for the purpose de scribed.

2. In combination with the main pipe, anic iliary reservoir, and the brake-cylinder, the valve having all its parts rigidly connected together, and adapted by its longitudinal movement in one direction to cut off commu nication between the brakc-cylinder and the auxiliary reservoir, to open communication between the brake-cylinder and the open air, and to open communication between the main pipe and the auxiliary reservoir, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In combination with the main pipe, auxiliary rescrvoi r, and the brakccylinder, a valve-casing provided with ports connecting with such pipe, reservoir, and brake-cylinder and with the open air, a valve having all its parts rigidly connected, providedwith a pistonhcad acted upon on opposite sides by pressure in the main pipe and the reservoir, said valve being adapted as it is moved in one direction by the pressure in the reservoir to iirst shut off communication between the reservoir and the pipe and between the brake-cylinder and the open air, and then to open communication between the reservoir and the brake-cylinder, substantially as an d for the purpose described.

4. In combination with the casing connecting at one end with the main pipe and at the other with the brake cylinder, on one side with the auxiliary reservoir and on the other with the atmosphere, and provided with the by passage or port as, the reciprocating valve within the casing having the enlarged fixed head adapted to close the connection with the main pipe, the fixed head to close the connection with the brake-cylinder when the mainpipe connection is open, and provided with the passage adapted to put the brake-cylinder and the opening into the air in connection after IOO ITO

the valve closes the connection of the brakecylinder with the valve-chamber in the casing, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In combination with the reciprocating valve F, having the enlarged valve-head f cut away, substantially as shown and described, and the valve-headf, of smaller diameter, and the passage f6, the valvecasing provided with the passage for connecting it with the main pipe, and a valve-seat for the head f, a passage for connecting with the brake mechanism, and a valve-seat for head f a passage for connecting with the auxiliary chamber, a port or passage adapted to connect the main pipe with auxiliary chamber when the valve is in position, so that head f closes the passage to the brake mechanism, and the exhaastport a5, adapted to communicate with passage f when the valve is in said position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In combination with the valve-chamber A, having the end openings, the lateral opening a2, the exhaust-port a, and the by pass or port a6, the valve-seat b, and the valve-seat as, the

valve F, having the enlarged portion f, forming a Valve-head, cut away, substantially as shown, and the head f4, of smaller diameter, and provided with the passage f, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7 The hereinbeforcdescribed apparatus, in

which the casing A, provided with the upperl THEODORE l-l. HABER-KORN.

\Vitnesses: Y

ROBT. S. lioBER'rsoN, NIcHoLAs A. RoBERfrsoN. 

